– , when a gunman burst into his classroom and opened fire. Of the 19 students killed that day, 11 belonged to his class. He also lost two fellow teachers, and Reyes himself was shot three times.
The teachers killed that day, Irma Garcia and Eva Mireles, had children of their own. Their students had bright futures ahead of them.Reyes said he has learned to accept it “in a sense that I can try to live my life every day,” but those feelings have returned as the two-year mark approaches.The same can be said about the community, he said.
He likes to think the community is undergoing some healing, but that disunity “comes out” during political races, he said.were just some campaign topics for candidates running for political office in Uvalde County. Reyes hasn’t returned to teaching, but he thinks of his time in the classroom and his students daily. May 24 will be the same as any other day, he said.
One of his students, Rojelio Torres, had the drive to always be first and try his best. It’s what Reyes tries to embody every day.